Finding your footing after graduation is a whirlwind, but for Nyah, the brilliant creator behind @nysreadingnook, it became the perfect catalyst to rediscover a lifelong passion. What began as a personal visual diary to track her post-grad reading journey has blossomed into a thriving, multi-platform community across Instagram and TikTok. Based in San Diego by way of Manila, Nyah has curated a digital sanctuary where hopeless romanticism seamlessly coexists with a fierce dedication to advocacy and literacy.
Whether she is championing local independent bookstores like San Diego’s Verbatim, fangirling over a legendary embrace from author Kennedy Ryan, or diving deep into the vital intersection of storytelling and social change, Nyah brings an authentic, refreshing voice to the bookish community. For her, reading isn’t just an escape—it’s an inherently political act, a tool for empathy, and a way to ensure marginalized voices are centered and celebrated.
We caught up with Nyah to chat about her ultimate comfort tropes, her dream coffee date with an iconic activist, and the powerful reads waiting on her TBR shelf.
Nyah, @nysreadingnook
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | GOODREADS | YOUTUBE | FABLE
What is your favorite indie bookstore, and where is it located?
Verbatim! It’s a bookstore in SD that sells mostly used books and has a phenomenal selection across all genres. They also host lots of community events like community fairs, park reading days, and book swaps!
Why did you start your Bookstagram, and what does it mean to you?
I started my Bookstagram as a way to share my rediscovered love for reading as I navigated the early years of post-grad. It started as a personal visual reading diary, but as I grew more confident in sharing my thoughts and reading more and more books, both my Bookstagram and TikTok became spaces for me to foster community. Bookstagram is my space to be authentically myself and grow in both my hopeless romanticism and my political fire. This truly is my space to be around people who value reading and literacy the same way I do, and to broaden the authors, genres, and stories I am potentially exposed to.
Who are your five favorite bookstagrammers?
What are your five favorite books?
It’s always so hard to pick just 5!
- White Tears/Brown Scars by Ruby Hamad
- The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston
- Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
- Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay
- Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
What are five books on your TBR you can’t wait to read?
- Cobalt Red by Siddharth Kara
- Black Salt Queen by Samantha Bansil
- There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak
- Beartown by Fredrik Backman
- Tropesick by Lauren Okie
Who are your favorite fictional characters?
I loooveeee Win and Bo from Out on a Limb, Magnolia from Next Time Will Be Our Turn, and Miles from Funny Story.
What are your bookish hot take(s) or unpopular opinion(s)?
I would like to think that this opinion isn’t necessarily unpopular, but it does tend to spark discourse every once in a while: reading, in any form, is political. Coming from someone who reads a lot of fiction and non-fiction, there are so many layers to why we need to consider reading political (yes, even fiction). To be literate and have both access and opportunities to read for leisure is a privilege not all are afforded. Marginalized and historically underrepresented groups deserve to see themselves in characters experiencing joy, having rights, and getting happy endings. Fiction and non-fiction can, and should, expose a reader to worldviews, histories, and experiences outside of their own, and that is how we build a more empathetic and compassionate world.
What’s an immediate DNF for you if you encounter it in a book?
I have a horrible habit of powering through books instead of DNFing, usually out of spite. But the most DNF-able offenses are definitely cheating, egregious use of/normalizing AI as a plot device, or if a main character is irredeemably mean or hurtful to another character (usually in a romance novel during a conflict between the love interests).
What’s something in a synopsis or book cover that will make you immediately buy it?
I am a huge sucker for second-chance romances, friends-to-lovers arcs, stories that take place over years/generations, and, of course, books centered on BIPOC characters and stories.
Which author or publisher would you like to supply you with a lifetime of books?
Probably Penguin Random House! I think all of their offshoots and imprints thoroughly cover all of my interests and tastes.
If you could have a coffee date with any author, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Angela Davis! Her work was pivotal to my journey as a non-fiction reader, and it would be an incredible privilege to hear from her regarding her lived experiences and the progression of her learning and activism over the years.
What’s a memorable or favorite interaction you’ve had with an author?
I met Kennedy Ryan at the 2026 LA Times Festival of Books and got to thank her for her relentless fight for underrepresented and BIPOC authors and creatives. She initiated a hug when we said goodbye, and I still fangirl to this day!
Thank you, Nyah, for an amazing interview and a look behind the curtain at one of our fave Bookstagrammers! Bookstr fam, be sure to run over to Insta and give Nyah a follow!
Find more Bookstagrammers to follow on here.
You can find all the books mentioned above, as well as those from previous BOTWs, on our Bookshop shelf!
